Sunday, September 30, 2012

We are getting closer! I like the layout with the roost and the nesting boxes. I want to replace the plastic tubs with a DB under the roost and figure out some way to make the nesting boxes more private (if you have any suggestions please leave a comment!) I also want to put a hinge on the top of the ladder so I can get to the DB easier OH and I have to fill in all the cracks/holes whatever you'd like to call them. Hubby and I are NOT carpenters and we use a LOT of 1 x 2's to cover up the mistakes.

I've talked my Husband into installing (some would call) windows... what they REALLY are are 1/2 of a window which I'll have propped up with cute white sticks during the day instead of finishing off with plywood! We'll make a trip to town tomorrow for my DR visit and pick them up. They cost $5 to $7 a piece. I figure we'll need 7 or 8 plus I want one to make a chalk board with for the homestead. I'll make sure to post photos of both my windows and chalk boards.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

I think we have the inside of the coop RIGHT this time... we still have to fill in the gaps around the walls (no carpenters here) and I think I've talk the Hubby into putting salvaged windows (bought from the habitat for humanity store) around the top instead of plywood. Then comes the fun part. I'll paint it to match the homestead. Add a mail box (our old mail box I've kept just for this reason) and a rain boot (an old pair of mine) garden to the front by the front door. AND of course make a sign for the front door that says....

The Red Roost Inn.

Since it was to late to get nice photos of the coop I thought I'd share a few I took not to long ago. I was in the shop trying to get a project done and around here... you are never alone...

This is Tucker our male mini horse... wanting to know why I'm in the shop...

This is Little Man our dog... after coming to see me he's decided to sit at the door of the shop and bark *sigh...

Normally you'll have a parade of chickens, kitties, dogs, horses while in the shop... you're never alone!

We are getting closer! But this set up didn't work either. *sigh.... AND I was so proud of it... it looks so nice.

-Notice the ladder in front of the laying boxes... I now can't reach the boxes to check for eggs and clean the boxes.

See that nice roosting bars? They are to small. They can't stand up on them. We ended up putting 1 x 2 through the chicken wire for the night for them to roost on.

I just want to get this inside set up correct so we can complete the walls. We have four more pieces of plywood to put up then we have to go back and put 1 x 2's around the edges we have gaps (The Husband and I are NOT carpenters!).

I'll update you tomorrow on how it goes. On the bright side. See the pine shavings? They are working out great.

Monday, September 24, 2012

We were so lucky to have great neighbors that came and helped me build built us a summer coop when Husband was ill. I can never thank them enough.

This is Jason looking very annoyed.

That's Camden on the left, Jason in the middle cleaning up and Chelsea - on the right - taking the chickens out of the cage (she had been caring for the flock while my husband was in the hospital) and introducing them to their new home.

Chelsea is telling Whoopie.... "this is a roost"... poor Whoopie was killed a month or so later by our dog Little Man. She died in my arms. I miss her.

Chelsea is showing Aunt Jemima the roost now. Poor AJ... she was carried off by a hawk or eagle... I miss you too...

This was the FIRST nesting boxes... the girls didn't like them

so I changed them to....

which they seem to like and are easy to clean. Even though I've never been able to get them level... I'm still working on that.

I started with a hay floor... that didn't work out well... poop + hay = gross mess... SO I had this great idea! River rock.... so I picked up all the river rock (pail by pail) from the back yard and put it in the coop. I cleaned it every day and it stayed damp... which helped with our flock coming down with gape worms (my poor babies!)... so now I'm using pine shavings (I like this... it's called the deep liter method and it's working well for us).

My Husband is on the mend and we've been working on upgrading our summer coop into a four season coop because it's starting to get a little nip in the air and we have to make sure our little flock will be warm this winter. It's not going as easy as I thought it would. Seriously. I thought no problem... throw up plywood... take the roost down that are WAY to high and put new lower ones in... stay tuned for the upgrading of

Welcome!

Come on in! My neighbors call me a city girl (I'm 50) and I guess I am. I moved to Georgia from Florida in 2011 because I just could NOT stand all the people. I wanted to move to a place I could not see a neighbor! We found it and love it here in the foothills of north west Georgia. Follow us in our attempt to be more self sufficient on our two acres.

I'll share our wins and our defeats and hopefully in our journey you will find something to help you in YOUR journey. If nothing else I bet you'll get a laugh or two out of it.